Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad

by Valerie Tripp

  “Yup. It’s an example of Occam’s razor,” Izzy said as she nodded cheerfully.

  “Whose what?” asked Gina.

  “This guy Occam that Granddad told me about,” said Izzy. “His rule is that ‘simplest is best.’ You shouldn’t assume something is more complicated than it appears.” She grinned at her friends. “I guess by lunchtime Monday, we’ll know if old Occam’s as sharp as his razor.”

  * * *

  Once again, Izzy was wrong.

  It didn’t take until lunchtime. By mid-morning Monday, it was clear that the air-conditioning was off and staying off. At long last, the school building was a comfortable temperature. Students cheered as they shed the heavy outer clothing they’d been wearing to stay warm inside the school. They kicked off their thick boots and spun their coats above their heads in celebration. The air was full of mittens tossed like very bulky celebratory confetti.

  Izzy, Allie, Charlie, Gina, and Marie stood together in the hall and watched as a bunch of eighth graders danced down the hall, fanning themselves with their notebooks while chatting and laughing.

  Then Mr. Delmonico came on the PA system and made an announcement. “Students of Atom Middle School,” he said, “I am happy to declare our deep freeze is over. With the help of the skilled air-conditioning technicians, I have solved the problem and the school is now a comfortable temperature.”

  “Hooray!” cheered all the students in the halls and all the classrooms. “Way to go, Mr. Delmonico!”

  Izzy, Allie, Charlie, Marie, and Gina raised their eyebrows at one another and exchanged secret smiles. Without saying a word, Izzy held the composition book open so that Allie, Charlie, Marie, and Gina could see it. She had written:

  Make an Observation: The school is too cold.

  Form a Question: Why is the air-conditioning/heating system malfunctioning?

  Form a Hypothesis: An old-fashioned light bulb right under the thermostat makes it register a high temperature.

  Conduct an Experiment: Replace the old-fashioned light bulb with an LED bulb.

  Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion: After installation, it is clear that the LED bulb solved the problem.

  “We know who really solved the problem,” said Marie. “It was you, Izzy. You’re the absolute hero.”

  “Oh, no,” said Izzy. “There’s no one absolute hero. It was all of us working together. Anyway,” she said modestly, “our solution was just common sense.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Allie, who was never reluctant to boast. “I think our solution was brilliant. We are some seriously smart girls.”

  After school, the girls went up to the roof. Thanks to Gina’s blinking light, they remembered to slide the bolt so the door wouldn’t lock behind them. They tilted their faces up to the sun and took deep breaths of the fall air that was fragrant with the aroma of leaves.

  “I love how we have a three-hundred-and-sixty degree view from this roof,” said Allie, turning slowly to take it all in.

  “Oh, we are going to have big fun up here,” Gina sighed contentedly. “Izzy, want to build a wind turbine together?”

  “Yes,” said Izzy. “And when I earn enough money for a telescope, we can have a sleepover and stay awake looking at the stars; wouldn’t that be”—she grinned—“out of this world?”

  “Cosmic,” Allie added, smiling at the space-related puns.

  “Before the ground freezes, we can clear the weeds out of those old boxes,” said Charlie. “I’ve already collected seedlings to plant. In the spring, we’ll have a vegetable garden. There’s nothing more delicious than homegrown strawberries.” She smiled. “I’m even hoping that I can talk you guys into having our own beehive. Think of the honey!”

  “It sure is already great up here,” said Marie. “And we’ll make it even better.” She smiled at Izzy, Allie, and Charlie. “I don’t think I ever thanked you three for telling Gina and me about the secret room and the roof. Thanks!”

  “And thanks for letting us be part of your squad of smart girls,” said Gina.

  “That’s the five of us,” said Allie. “You, me, Marie, Charlie, and Izzy. We’re the smart squad.”

  “S-M-A-R-T,” said Marie. “That stands for Solving Mysteries—”

  “And Revealing Truths!” finished Izzy, smiling at Marie, her wonderful, lost-then-found friend. “We are The Best.”

  “I hope we’ll have lots more mysteries to solve,” said Charlie. “And if we do, let’s keep on keeping our mystery-solving a secret. It’ll be cooler if we are the only ones who know, right?”

  “Right!” all the girls agreed.

  “I wonder what our next S.M.A.R.T. Squad challenge will be?” said Gina.

  “Who knows?” said Izzy. “But whatever it is, we’ll solve it together.”

  THE TRUTH BEHIND THE FICTION

  Who’s Who? And Which One Are YOU?

  The S.M.A.R.T. Squad characters are all modeled after famous scientists, each of whom studied a different subject or field. Take a look at these world-renowned thinkers, and you will see how each character got her name. You may also notice that it’s not just their names that are similar but some of their interests, too. Which field of interest interests YOU?

  SIR ISAAC NEWTON

  Born: January 4, 1643

  Fields of Interest: Physics: light, heat, sound, motion, and force

  BFF: John Wickins (Recognize the name of Izzy’s cat?)

  Hobbies: Flute, stargazing, color theory, alchemy (That’s trying to make gold.)

  Claim to Fame: Newton explained the theory of universal gravity, discovered the branch of mathematics called calculus, and developed three laws of motion that pretty much underlie all the basic principles of modern physics:

  1. Objects in motion stay in motion and objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by a force.

  2. Acceleration depends on force and mass.

  3. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

  CHARLES DARWIN

  Born: February 12, 1809

  Fields of Interest: Biology and botany, which includes the study of plants, fish, bugs, and lots more

  BFFS: T. H. Huxley, a biologist who studied birds and dinosaurs; Charles Lyell, a geologist who explained how Earth changed over time; and Darwin’s wife, Emma, and their children

  Hobbies: Collecting plants and animals; definitely NOT sailing. He would get violently seasick while on his voyage of discovery.

  Claim to Fame: Darwin sailed around the world for nearly five years on a ship called the Beagle and wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, a book that revolutionized science by showing that plants and animals are constantly changing or “evolving.”

  GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

  Born: Approximately 1864

  Fields of Interest: Plants, animals—anything that grows!

  BFF: Booker T. Washington

  Hobbies: Painting, breaking barriers: Carver was the first African American to attend what would become Tuskegee University. He later became the school’s first African-American faculty member.

  Claim to Fame: Carver invented and/or promoted non-food uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, alfalfa, wild plums, tomatoes, and corn. He wrote about better ways of growing crops; raising poultry, cows, and hogs; preserving meats in hot weather; and the importance of including nature study in schools.

  MARIE CURIE

  Born: November 7, 1867

  Fields of Interest: Chemistry, physics, and math

  BFFs: Her husband, Pierre, and daughters, Irène and Ève

  Hobbies: Bike riding

  Claim to Fame: Not only was Curie the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, she is the only woman to win two Nobel Prizes and she was awarded them for two different fields (physics and chemistry). Curie researched radioactivity and techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes. She discovered two elements, polonium and radium.

  ALBERT EINSTEIN

  Born: March 14, 1879 (That’s 3.14—
Pi Day!)

  Fields of Interest: Chemistry, physics, math, space, time—you name it!

  BFFs: His sister, Maja

  Hobbies: Playing the violin, sailing, hiking

  Claim to Fame: Einstein developed the theory of relativity, which states that time is relative to motion, nothing moves faster than light, and the gravity of huge bodies like the sun can bend space-time. (Think of a beam of starlight curving as it passes near the sun). Einstein wrote the world’s most famous equation, E = mc2: energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. This equation essentially means that energy and mass are different forms of the same thing! Einstein also won the Nobel Prize in Physics.

  WOMEN SCIENTISTS

  You know the S.M.A.R.T. Squad is super brainy, but do you know about these amazing real-life female scientists? Some of their work helped change the world; others are working on experiments today that could have an impact on our future.

  KATHERINE JOHNSON: SPACE PIONEER

  Born in West Virginia in 1918, Katherine Johnson was a math and physics genius who used her extraordinary ability for complicated calculations to figure out not only how to launch crewed spacecraft but also their best trajectories and return paths. Part of nearly every space mission team up to 1986, Johnson calculated where and when spacecraft would land after orbiting Earth. Johnson computed a path for Apollo 11 to get to the moon—and back; she calculated how the lunar module could reconnect with the command module in order to return home safely. Johnson was essential to the beginning of the space shuttle program and worked on plans for a mission to Mars. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

  Katherine Johnson at NASA Research Center

  GRACE HOPPER: COMPUTER SCIENTIST

  Born in New York City in 1906, Grace Hopper was brilliant, determined, and way ahead of her time. She was one of the very first computer scientists back in 1944, when computers were as big as a whole room. Hopper was also a rear admiral in the United States Navy. She was a pioneer programmer on an early computer called the Mark I. You should thank her every day because she invented one of the first “linkers,” or languages that enabled computers and people to communicate.

  Grace Hopper codes onto punch tape for a new calculating machine

  These two National Geographic explorers are among many scientists at work today whose studies will help our planet.

  LINA ARAGÓN: BIOLOGIST AND PLANT ECOLOGIST

  Lina Aragón is a graduate school student, working on her PhD in ecology and environmental biology at the University of Waterloo in Canada. As a biologist, Aragón is passionate about plant botany, physiology, and ecology. She is especially fascinated in the way plants thrive under unbelievably extreme conditions around the world. She is interested in applying this knowledge to better understand how plants will respond to climate change and how our planet will change as a consequence of this phenomenon.

  Aragón in Colombia at a unique alpine ecosystem in the tropics

  ANTONELLA WILBY: ROBOTICS ENGINEER AND COMPUTER SCIENTIST

  Antonella Wilby is a robotics engineer, conservation technologist, and underwater explorer who builds robots to explore extreme environments. She develops cutting-edge robotics and technology to help understand ocean ecosystems, study endangered species, and map unexplored environments, with the goal of better understanding and protecting our planet. Currently, her research focuses on building a swarm of robots to create detailed three-dimensional maps of coral reefs to help ecologists better understand coral reef ecosystems. As part of this work, she develops software that enables robots to “see” with their cameras, enabling them to autonomously navigate, build 3D maps, and understand the complex underwater world around them.

  Wilby deploys the SphereCam in the Gulf of California, Mexico.

  S.M.A.R.T. TERMINOLOGY

  The S.M.A.R.T. Squad talks about all kinds of scientific and mathematical concepts. But what’s behind these complex ideas? Let’s take a closer look.

  Absolute Zero

  In the story, Izzy feels like an absolute zero when Marie is cold to her. Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature. Theoretically, nothing could be colder. At absolute zero, particles have minimal vibrational motion and, therefore, no heat. It is zero on the kelvin scale, equivalent to minus 273.15°C or minus 459.67°F. Brrr!

  The Scientific Method

  Remember the notebook Izzy kept to record all the ways the S.M.A.R.T. Squad tried to solve the Mystery of the Cold School? Izzy applied the scientific method, which is a series of steps that scientists follow, to answer questions. Use it yourself on a question that’s bugging you, like this:

  Make an Observation: I am so hungry by 9:30 a.m. that I could eat my math book.

  Form a Question: Does what I eat for breakfast make a difference?

  Form a Hypothesis: If I eat protein, like eggs, for breakfast, I’ll be fuller longer.

  Conduct an Experiment: Week One: Eat eggs for breakfast Monday through Friday; note time hunger sets in. Week Two: Eat cereal for breakfast Monday through Friday; note time hunger sets in.

  Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion: Both weeks, stomach growled by 9:30 a.m. Protein for breakfast made no difference. Pack a snack!

  Occam’s razor

  Occam’s razor is a rule of logic that’s behind all scientific modeling and theory development. Simply put, it says don’t make more assumptions than you need to. In the story, Izzy’s grandfather tells her about Occam’s razor when she is guessing why Marie cut off their friendship. Later, Izzy applies Occam’s razor to the Mystery of the Cold School. The solution was simple: Apply Occam’s razor to a problem you’ve made more complicated than it needs to be, like:

  My dog keeps whimpering and whining. Is he sick? Does he hear/smell/feel an earthquake coming? Is he hungry again? (I just fed him an hour ago!) Has he injured his paw? Is my brother calling him from outside? Is he frightened by the music I’m playing? Has he lost his chew toy? Does he want me to pet him? Is he just being a needy pain in the neck? Oh. He needs to go out. Sorry, fella.

  LED

  LED stands for light-emitting diode. LED bulbs last a long time; if you used one for 8 hours a day, by some estimates it would last for 17 years, which is approximately 50 times longer than a typical incandescent bulb. LED bulbs require much less wattage than incandescent light bulbs, which is why LEDs are more energy efficient and last longer. Crucial to Izzy and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad in solving their mystery is the fact that LED bulbs do not feel hot. They keep their cool.

  Izzy cleared her throat. It felt a little tight and itchy, maybe from the uncomfortable feeling that headstrong Allie was wrong to just breezily assume that Marie would like her science fair project without even asking her. Izzy met Charlie’s glance; they both knew that Marie and Allie were impatient with one another sometimes. Allie drove Marie crazy with her “the more the merrier” full-speed-ahead enthusiasm and bossiness. And Marie drove Allie crazy with how fussy and finicky she could be. Izzy swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, not wanting to make the hairline fracture between Allie and Marie bigger.

  Fortunately, at that moment, Allie made a whopper sneeze. “Ahh-choo!”

  Ms. Okeke, the librarian, came over to their table. “Hello, girls,” she said. Her voice sounded nasal because she had a stuffy nose. She handed Allie a box of tissues. “Help yourself to a tissue.”

  “Thanks,” said Allie. She dabbed her red-rimmed eyes and blew her nose.

  Ms. Okeke sighed, but it turned into a cough. “I’m sniffly, too,” she rasped. “Lately, it seems like everyone who comes to the library is attacked by upper respiratory congestion.”

  Izzy sat up straight and listened carefully. She sensed a mystery!

  “Now that you mention it, my eyes and nose have been runny ever since I came in here this afternoon,” said Gina.

  “My throat is itchy,” said Izzy hoarsely.

  “I have sort of a headache,” Charlie admitted.

 
Allie didn’t say anything, but she blew her nose with a loud honk.

  “What is going on?” asked Charlie. “What’s giving everyone these weird symptoms?”

  “It’s a puzzle,” said Ms. Okeke, “and if someone could solve it, I’d be grateful.”

  Ms. Okeke left, and Gina, Izzy, and Charlie exchanged excited, delighted grins.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Izzy. She rhymed the syllables, “The Li-brar-ee Mys-ter-ee. Has a nice ring to it, right? Sure does sound like a job for the S.M.A.R.T. Squad.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

  One hot September Saturday, my friend Carolyn Johnson emailed me and asked if by any chance, I could be a last-minute substitute speaker at a luncheon for librarians she was hosting that Wednesday. I said, “Sure!” I’ll do anything for Carolyn: She’s the kind of librarian friend who suggests books for you to read and you read them and LOVE them. I had a wonderful time at the luncheon, where I met a very nice young woman named Becky Baines. A month went by, and then Becky Baines emailed me and wrote that she was the executive editor at Nat Geo Kids Books. Would I be interested in writing a fiction series?

  Would I? I thought it would only be a total dream come true!

  And I was right. Working with Becky and Kate Hale and Erica Green on Izzy’s stories has been fantastic. I’m also grateful to book designer Julide Dengel, photo editor Sarah Mock, and production editor Molly Reid. When the sketches came in from Geneva Bowers, I was thrilled. Geneva brought Izzy and her friends to life. Her illustrations expressed the whimsical, joyful spirit of Izzy’s stories perfectly, just perfectly. I am grateful to Geneva and everyone at National Geographic Kids: They’re a grown-up S.M.A.R.T. Squad. And thank you, Carolyn, for inviting me to that luncheon!